


SAVING GRACE

by smileyjeongin



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, I need more of them, Light Angst, M/M, honestly what is that ending, hyunin, i love hyunin/jeongjin so much, its happy dw, jeongjin, lowkey ambiguous ending, none of the others are there sorry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-30
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-07-04 09:46:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15838737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smileyjeongin/pseuds/smileyjeongin
Summary: hyunjin wished for a friend, instead he got an angel that came in yellow rain gear with cookies and balloons.





	SAVING GRACE

Hyunjin was born fighting. The gene for lung cancer was in him when he was born, it was a part of him whether he wanted it to be or not. His mom was a heavy smoker, something so bad even having a child couldn’t motivate her to try harder to quit. His dad always said he tried many times to get her to quit even before she was pregnant with him, but she never could. Hyunjin was born fine technically speaking, looking at him there wasn’t anything wrong and if he got lung cancer because of his mom’s mistakes was only a matter of time, nothing was definitive as he was placed in his parent’s loving arms for the first time. 

When Hyunjin was about five years old the doctors noticed something irregular in his breathing, maybe it could’ve just been a cold coming on, and maybe it was nothing to worry about, but with his gene history and his mom’s constant smoking the doctors were worried. She stopped smoking so much, but she still smoked, and Hyunjin was always around her, he inhaled the smoke when he went to give her a hug before he went to bed, it hung off of her like a cape. Only when they got results from the lab back confirming that yes, Hyunjin had cancer cells growing in his left lung, did she really realize that this was all her fault and it could’ve been avoided if she listened to everyone telling her to stop. 

Hyunjin’s condition was very bad as he was very young and his immune system hadn’t even had the chance to fight a common cold yet, much less tackle cancer. But the doctors were doing the best they could, keeping him happy despite all the tests he had to go through, making sure that he was given some glimpse of a real childhood in case he never got to have it. For a long time it seemed hopeless, Hyunjin had never been to school and had no friends his age to come visit him, the only visitors he got were his parents, the doctors, and the nice lady who lived next door and was Hyunjin’s lone friend. Until Jeongin. 

Hyunjin was told he would have until he was ten years old with the way that the cancer was progressing in his body, five years for him to be a child and relish in the joy of life before he was even able to experience it. When his tenth birthday rolled around Hyunjin didn’t wish for more years to live, he wished for a friend. One, single friend who was preferably his age and would give him laughter in his final moments alive. Being alone for so long was adding to the effect of the cancer, his brain was finding it harder and harder to find a reason to tell his body to keep fighting it. Hyunjin wanted to live, of course he did, but with no friends to go to once he was out, there were some days he thought maybe he wouldn’t mind death. 

Jeongin came storming in one rainy afternoon, a few days after his birthday, soaked from head to toe despite the hideous yellow galoshes and rain poncho he wore to protect himself. Hyunjin hadn’t known he was coming, he’d never heard of him before, but he didn’t care. Because Jeongin told him that he was there to turn Hyunjin’s smile upside down and he was going to be his friend, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. The way he said it, so sternly as if Hyunjin was going to deny his friendship, while he looked so ridiculous (but looking back he was cute at the same time) with his fists clenched and everything, made Hyunjin burst out laughing. Real genuine laughter flowed from his mouth and Jeongin beamed, happy he’d gained such a reaction. Jeongin climbed up on a chair and sat next to him, and Hyunjin thanked whoever sent him Jeongin for granting his wish. 

The day after his birthday, Hyunjin had been told he had about a month to live. Hyunjin didn’t even realize that a month passed by until Jeongin burst in one day, bouncing like his body was full of jumping beans, and declaring that it was their one month anniversary. Hyunjin thought for a moment, about how he was supposed to be dead by then, but didn’t tell Jeongin so as to not ruin his mood. He instead asked what that meant, and Jeongin explained that his older sister had a boyfriend and apparently they celebrated their one month anniversary a few days ago, then he ran to his mom, asking when he’d met Hyunjin and then discovered the date of their anniversary. Thus bringing him to want to celebrate it because he thought that was how it worked. 

They couldn’t have a real party of course but Jeongin brought balloons that he knew how to blow up, and he had two cookies that he almost couldn’t bring in here but pleaded until the front desk lady let him go. Hyunjin took the chocolate chip cookie from the napkin Jeongin wrapped them in and started nibbling on it, wanting to make it last. Jeongin started blowing up balloons for them, making silly faces with his cheeks puffed out and his eyes crossed, and during all of it Hyunjin never stopped laughing. Jeongin didn’t blow up that many, but he did a few and they started punching them around the room, seeing if they could keep them up. For the first time in a long time, Hyunjin wasn’t lying in bed, rather just sitting on it, and he felt the most normal he had in years. 

Jeongin came in every day, and with every year that went by the doctors wondered how in the world Hyunjin was living. He was now thirteen, supposed to die three years ago, but the cancer wasn’t beating him yet. It was when they were thirteen, a little more grown up than ten, when Hyunjin asked why Jeongin came into his room that one day and demanded his friendship. Jeongin smiled and took Hyunjin’s hand, ‘I just thought that there were so many people who needed more happiness in their lives.’ He said, ‘I pestered my mom until she brought me somewhere where I could brighten people’s day. She asked the front desk lady if there were any children in this hospital and she immediately directed me to you.’ It was then that Hyunjin realized Jeongin was an angel and he was lucky that angel was sent to watch over him. Hyunjin laughed and told Jeongin that the doctors thought he wasn’t going to make it a month past his tenth birthday. But he believed because he had Jeongin, he was saved, Jeongin was his savior and the reason he was still breathing. 

For a while the cancer had been stagnant, not getting better but not getting worse, it was like that for his whole fourteenth year and well into his fifteenth. By the time he turned sixteen he and Jeingin had a bond stronger than steel and Hyunjin’s cancer started getting worse. No one really knew what caused the sudden and horrible change in his disease progression, it happened over night and they almost didn’t let Jeongin in to see him that day, saying Hyunjin needed as much rest as he could get. But the doctors knew how much Hyunjin loved that boy and let him through, hoping the visit would cheer Hyunjin up. Jeongin entered quietly and saw Hyunjin laying on his bed, presumably sleeping as his eyes were closed and soft, steady breaths were coming from his chest. 

Jeongin held his hand and Hyunjin didn’t move, he told Hyunjin he loved him and the heart monitor to the side started beeping just a little faster. Jeongin smiled and squeezed Hyunjin’s hand a little tighter, so that maybe in his sleeping state he would still know Jeongin was with him. He hadn’t left him and never was going to. Jeongin observed the sleeping boy, only sixteen and been through so much, only had one real friend to speak of but yet every day when Jeongin walked in he smiled. He had a pretty smile too, Jeongin sometimes wondered if Hyunjin knew that. He grew up to be a very handsome teenager, he would say otherwise, the lack of hair on his head always lowering his self esteem which was why it was covered by a beanie at all times; but Jeongin always thought that couldn’t be further from the truth. 

A few months passed and Hyunjin’s cancer had been so bad that he’d almost died. That day was terrifying. That day Hyunjin couldn’t stop crying, telling Jeongin he didn’t want to die, he wasn’t ready to leave. He confessed that he loved Jeongin, he loved him so much and he wanted to stay alive and get better and take him on dates, hold his hand when they walk down the street, he didn't want to die without doing those things and so much more with Jeongin by his side. Jeongin smiled sadly and kissed his forehead, silent tears falling down his own cheeks as he replied,’Stay strong for me, I know you can. And when you’re better we’ll go on dates and I’ll show you off to my friends and they’ll wonder how I got a boyfriend before all of them. And I’ll give you a proper kiss, hopefully under a starry sky, maybe under a blazing sun. Please Hyunjin, stay with me.’ His words helped. Hyunjin didn’t die that day, nor the day after, or a week after that. He was still living and every day he couldn’t be happier that he was. He was gifted the opportunity to laugh with his parents every day, and fall even harder for Jeongin every day once they left the pair alone. 

Hyunjin was doing better, chemo was helping tremendously and the doctors were telling the family that if this kept going the rate it was they could get the cancerous cells small enough that they would be able to surgically remove them, thus freeing Hyunjin of cancer and hopefully for good. The doctors continued to be astonished by Hyunjin’s drive and motivation, for how young he had been when he first developed the disease, his willpower was incredible. Hyunjin would always say it was all thanks to Jeongin, and Jeongin would always refuse and deny that he was the one who helped remind Hyunjin why he was fighting. He loved Jeongin in a different way than his parents and it helped, it gave him even more reason to love living and crave it with every part of himself. 

_____________

Jeongin walked in and immediately noticed how healthy Hyunjin looked. His hair was grown back now with the stopping of the intense chemo, apparently it grew fast, and it was already laying on his head like it would’ve been the whole time. He looked so handsome. It made Jeongin smile so bright when he saw Hyunjin stop wearing the beanie. Hyunjin was due for surgery in a few days, the cancer cells were small enough that the doctors said they could remove it now. He was lucky it hadn’t spread to other areas of the body or else the operation would’ve been impossible. Hyunjin was more excited than nervous, he was used to the surgery process after being exposed to it and things similar his whole life. 

“I managed to sneak you a sub,” Jeongin said, sitting as he usually did with his butt in a chair and his legs up over Hyunjin’s lap. He opened his bag and took out two sandwiches wrapped in parchment, handing one to Hyunjin,”The lady didn’t look too convinced that I was gonna eat both of them.” 

“You probably could.” Hyunjin replied, words muffled by food. Jeongin rolled his eyes and bit off a piece of his own,

“Just ‘cause I could doesn’t mean I want to.” 

“You should though,” Hyunjin argued,”you’re so damn skinny.” Jeongin shook his head,

“You need it more than me, I mean how do they expect you to get any better if they feed you shit?”  
Hyunjun laughed and couldn’t agree more, he’d been in the hospital for a long time, he was surprised the hospital hadn’t started giving him real food yet. Jeongin snuck in whatever he could, always with the excuse of eating it all himself. It hadn’t worked for a while on the old front desk lady, she was too smart to be fooled by Jeongin’s adorable smile and lies, but this new one was. The old one retired a while back, probably a few years ago now, and the new one still hadn’t caught on. If she had, she didn’t say anything, and Hyunjin was grateful. 

As always when they were finished, Jeongin moved to sit up on the bed with Hyunjin, tucked under his arm and laying on his chest. It was comfortable and they sat together watching TV in silence. Sometimes they would laugh together at something funny that happened, sometimes they would strike up conversation about something a character did, Jeongin usually finding it endearing and Hyunjin finding it ridiculous. Their relationship extended as far as moments like those, plus hand holding and kisses on the cheeks and forehead. Both were excited for Hyunjin to be able to get out of the hospital, Hyunjin hadn’t been allowed to leave in such a long time he sometimes joked he forgot what a world outside the pristine walls of the hospital looked like. 

Jeongin promised he would take Hyunjin anywhere he wanted to go, treat him to any meal, shower him in all the love he possibly could. Hyunjin’s parents once asked why they weren’t already considering themselves a couple, their response was if they did and something happened to Hyunjin it would be too much of a heartbreak. Really investing time and energy into a relationship only for it to crash and burn in the worst way possible, was something Jeongin didn’t want to go through and Hyunjin didn’t want for him. So they remained ‘friends’ and they vowed they would until the day Hyunjin was released. 

The day Hyunjin was going in for surgery Jeongin was a mess. At school he couldn’t concentrate, his mind was always elsewhere and he was reprimanded twice for it. He couldn’t help it through, the boy he loved was finally going to be free of the illness that caused him so much distress after twelve years. He was excited and nervous all at the same time, he wanted to get done with the day so he could get to the hospital and see him. He didn’t even know how long the surgery was going to take. He was nervous for the possibility of Hyunjin not making it, something going wrong. Even though they made the promise they did, no relationship until Hyunjin was out, it would still be hard of Jeongin if he didn’t make it. He would still feel the loss of a loved one, their promise was silly really because it would happen anyway if that were to be Hyunjin’s fate. 

In a sick way Jeongin was glad Hyunjin had cancer. It was awful to think because who wants their best friend to have cancer? But if he didn’t Jeongin wouldn’t have met him. There would’ve been no reason for him to meet Hyunjin and he might have been directed to another kid instead. And maybe they would have fallen for each other just like he and Hyunjin but he’ll never know, and he didn’t want to. Maybe he and Hyunjin would’ve met anyway, the latter would've been in school and they would have gone to the same one if he had been allowed. Then Jeongin would’ve been someone else’s angel, their saving grace and not Hyunjin’s. He always thought it was ridiculous that Hyunjin gave him credit for his survival, Hyunjin was the one battling cancer, not him. Hyunjin didn’t have the heart to explain how lonely he was before Jeongin came. 

When school hours were over Jeongin ignored every request from his friends to hang out with them, and went straight for the hospital. Hyunjin had to be done now. When he arrived the Hwang’s were already there and they were crying. Jeongin immediately expected the worst and took a deep breath. Then he was told Hyunjin’s surgery was successful, the cancer was gone. And he realized as he started crying too, that the Hwangs’ tears were happy, just like his own. He was apparently resting now, as he would need to for at least a day before he could have visitors. It would be another month before they could discharge him so long as nothing happened to him, and he would still need regular doctors visits for a while, but it was a vast improvement. 

Jeongin waltzed into the hospital on the day of Hyunjin’s discharge. His parents were at the front desk signing all the papers and they waved to Jeonign when he passed by. Hyunjin only continued to get better after the surgery, he was awake and energetic within a few hours, and he had a contagious smile across his lips every day. He felt liberated and good, he felt healthy which was something he never truly experienced. Jeongin went into Hyunjin’s room (soon to be old room) and gasped quietly. Hyunjin had never worn clothes he liked or ones he wanted, he dressed in what his parents gave him for comfort and ease, Jeongin had never seen him in anything like what he had on now. He looked fantastic. Hyunjin heard Jeongin and turned abruptly from where he stood in the window, breaking into a huge smile the moment he laid eyes on the smaller. 

“You look ready to get out.” Jeongin commented, walking over to embrace Hyunjin around the waist. 

“I am,” Hyunjin laughed,”I’ve been ready every since you promised me a real kiss once I did.” Jeongin laughed heartily into Hyunjin’s chest,

“I’m sure that’s the only reason you want out.” 

“Oh it definitely is.” Hyunjin replied, giving Jeongin a little extra squeeze as his parents came in. They held the official discharge papers in their hands and Hyunjin was free to go. Jeongin’s hand in his they left the single room where Hyunjin had spent his whole childhood in, keeping the good memories of friendship anniversaries and snuck in food, leaving bad ones of worsening conditions and dark times that followed. Breathing in the fresh air of a world outside antiseptic, Hyunjin started to laugh. This was really happening, he was cured and he was going to live for real now. He looked down at Jeongin who smiled just as bright as he did, he didn’t care that his parents were watching, he didn’t care that the parking lot of a hospital wasn’t romantic at all, and he definetley didn’t care about waiting any longer. Good thing for him Jeongin didn’t care either.

**Author's Note:**

> ig: sunnyysan


End file.
